One of the primary goals of a strong public relations program is to increase the organization’s marketplace visibility and credibility. In almost all cases, that includes thought leadership and helping establish company executives as experts on relevant subjects through media interviews, byline articles, a social media presence and speaking opportunities. While all executives are happy to talk about the issues that make their products, services and companies relevant – and some even tweet about it – many have a hard time extending into peripheral areas that would open the door to additional avenues for visibility.
With the many opportunities available in today’s content driven world, it pays to step outside your comfort zone into related topics—and that requires close contact with your PR team. Understanding customer pain points, the rationale behind new solutions, hot industry issues and competitor viewpoints are all key areas of discussion for the PR team to use in developing an impactful thought leadership strategy and related content. Also, the PR team needs quality time with the company’s thought leaders – on a quarterly conference call, annual planning meeting or for individual media opportunities – so they can better understand their style and perspectives. It is time well invested as it helps ensure a roadmap of sustainable and relevant thought leadership opportunities that position the organization as a credible resource on the industry’s most pressing issues.